The Swipe Volume 1 Chapter 36
Two weeks before Halloween, and it feels like there is a curse on the House Of Wickings. Two family members have been in hospital, one leaving yesterday with a brand new shoulder. Another is in Poland, his luggage at Heathrow. One more fell in a fishing lake. I’ve been slapped with a cut in hours as the SAG-ACTRA strike rolls on into the autumn. It’s annoying, but at least I get an extra day off a week in November—handy with Nanowrimo coming up.
You take the little victories where you can. Hope you’re all having a better time of it than me and mine.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
The New Tomorrows, a 1971 anthology edited by Norman Spinrad. The New Worlds revolution in SF in the late sixties led to a fresh, controversy-baiting style which is probably my favourite. Less space opera, more Hawkwind-style space-rock. Spinrad curates a nice little roster, including the enfants terrible of the day like Michael Moorcock, Samuel R. Delaney and Harlan Ellison. The collection feels tight, sharp and clean—a real statement of intent. Happy to pass it on when I’m done if anyone’s interested…
Rob is watching…
Music Videos That Take Place In Outer Space
That’s the tweet.
Rob is listening…
Lol Tolhurst, ex-Cure and freshly minted elder statesman of Goth, has teamed up with the heartbeat of Siouxie And The Banshees Budgie on a striking new partnership. Big, beaty and moody, it’s perfect spooky season soundtracking.
Rob is eating…
I excavated a kale and chickpea stew from the freezer this week, which had become victim to the ‘I made this but I don’t want to eat it’ attitude that has led to all sorts of peculiar slumgullions lurking in the depths of the cold box.. Warmed through with some pre-cooked lamb shoulder and a hit of cumin and chili, the stew was pretty tasty, once turned out over rice with a samosa on the side. A meal which suited the turning of the seasons. Hearty, warm, nurturing, simple. Dunno why I’d waited so long.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
The Peckham Conker Championships
Purists may sneer at the advent of the new range of fast-firing mini pizza ovens from brands like Ooni. OK for home use they say, but they won’t cut the mustard when it comes to restaurant-quality.
I disagree. Reading stalwarts like Sarv’s Slice pay attention to a great dough and thoughtfully compiled toppings, turning out delicious results. These portable ovens make pop-up pizza a real possibility, and democratize the process for those budding pizzaiolas who lack the funds or space for a huge brick firebox.
My fascination on language as a changing and evolving process took another tickle this week. It seems that the international community of scientists and workers at Antarctica have, completely organically and without anyone really noticing, developed a new accent.
A great, long-ranging interview with the Funny Girl herself in this month’s Vanity Fair. Barbra tells brilliant stories, spills tea with gleeful abandon and seems like just a fantastic person to spend some time with. I get the feeling you wouldn’t want to get on her wrong side, though.
The Ninth Art lost Keith Giffen this week. He was as rumbunctious in life as in his comics work, which included a hugely influential run on Justice League (now his version would have made a cracking movie) and the creation of my favourite surreal, fourth-wall breaking alien, Ambush Bug. I loved Keith’s writing and scrappy, European-inflected art which had elements of Hugo Pratt and the Galaxy’s Greatest, Carlos Ezquerra. We’ll always have the laughter, Keith.
I hope you haven’t already seen this story of a con-woman, her mark, a reporter and her editor and the web in which they all got tangled. If not, settle in and enjoy the ride. It’s a long read but I pretty much guarantee you won’t see the end coming.
Modern fantasy, especially the sword-and-sorcery type, may feel like it’s been around for ever. But, lest we forget, Tolkien’s work emerged just after WW2, and the books which have firmed up the image of what fantasy reads and looks like were released much more recently than we remember. One man is really responsible for the revolution. Introducing Lester Del Rey.
A lovely little strip from Reddit user r/emberfoxglow, which shows how an idea and a mood can take you to very far-off places. The art is simple, but the story is anything but. Big mythic themes on offer here, Readership.
The list of the world’s 50 best bars is out. I see the over-all winner, Sips in Barcelona, offers their signature cocktail in a sculpture of two cupped hands. Like a burger on a plank wasn’t bad enough. Some interesting places in London, with Shoreditch as an epicentre, Satan’s Whiskers looks like a place I could hang.
But honestly, I’d be most at home in a joint like AC’s Bar And Grill. The idea of chicken fingers, a Rust Belt Manhattan and that jukebox speaks to my dreamy little soul.
Oh, and in case you were wondering…
…you can never prove that AC’s Bar and Grill isn’t real, but I know you’d never try. We both know the world is a better place if it is real.
Scott Hines
I go out for regular games nights with a writing pal, and she and the group always have new and surprising entertainments to bring to the table. Blokes would, I suspect, not be one to recommend to them.
Lastly, this story of how a quiet provincial school became an indie-rock hotbed in the 90s filled me with warmth and nostalgia. The can-do, let’s-put-on-the-show-right-here attitude is absolutely infectious and the clip of Andi Peters of Live And Kicking helping as a roadie is priceless. Shame The Lemonheads were so blasted when they finally hit the stage.
We Outro with Descartes a Kant, who provide the full package. Earwormy, proggy, stop-start Arte de Eurovision silliness. Play loud and on repeat.
See you in seven, true believers.
